The present invention relates generally to the field of foot-wear, and in particular to a new and useful shoe cover that is easily donned and removed, preferably without the hands, so as to cover the shoes instead of having to remove them when entering areas where the shoes should be removed, such as a person's home who wished visitors to remove their shoes before entering.
A very high percentage of the Asian population throughout the world removes their shoes when entering their own home or another's home as a guest. The reasons are almost solely related to general cleanliness and health. They either walk around the home in socks or put on slippers kept by the entry door.
People in non-Asian countries such as the US are quickly adopting this practice of removing one's shoes upon entering a home. Some non-Asian countries already have a large majority of people adhering to this practice. More and more people throughout the world believe that bringing in dirt from the outside is not only unattractive, but that the germs, bacteria, chemicals, etc. carried on shoe soles can be very unhealthy.
While removing one's shoes is a perfectly acceptable solution if one intends to remain at home for some extended period, it is not acceptable and an issue in the following cases:
1. workmen entering the home;
2. children running in for a short time while playing outside;
3. guests not staying long or who prefer not to remove their shoes;
4. the need to quickly return and get something after putting on one's shoes when just leaving the home; and
5. making multiple trips carrying packages in or out of the home.
There is evidence that this is indeed a real problem being hotly debated. Internet websites that provide message boards for individuals to vent any issues are common. A number of discussion threads were devoted to discussing the reasons for, and problems of, taking one's shoes off upon entering a home. A much larger than average number of people participated in these discussions. One thread was found with hundreds of people exchanging their views on a daily basis in 2003.
To sum up the many responses, many people felt very strongly that for both cleanliness and health reasons one's shoes should always be removed upon entering a home. The minority of responses were from people that enjoyed taunting the “particular nature” of the majority with this view. In almost all the responses, people seemed resigned to the fate of having to choose between just two states of the world: shoes on or off. In only a couple of responses did people suggest putting down cardboard for workmen or the use of hospital booties to solve the problem.
A few small companies have arisen, attempting to market a version of the hospital bootie to workmen. Some large companies that sell cleaning and other supplies to different type of workmen, include a version of the hospital bootie in their catalog. Workmen are encouraged to bring the bootie with them when visiting customers' homes to show respect. Few people have ever witnessed a workman that has done this, however. Such a product is difficult and/or inconvenient to use since it requires the hands to don and remove, often does not stay securely on the shoe, and once removed may be left upside-down or inside-out so that any dirt from the shoes may still be left on the floor.
Without the use of any such product:
parents are often heard yelling at their kids to remember to take off their shoes;
homeowners with enough courage ask that workmen and/or guests remove their shoes; and/or
people reluctantly violate their own rules at the thought of removing their shoes for just a few minutes.
The need to protect floors is not limited to home use. In businesses where clean and not-so-clean areas meet up (e.g. auto dealerships, manufacturing plants, animal care facilities and the like), a shoe cover can be very useful. In these cases, a shoe cover could even be used to protect the shoes from being dirtied when entering a not-so-clean area.
An ideal solution to this problem that has not yet been created is to provide a two (children/adult) or three (small/medium/large) size fits-all product that easily attaches and fits securely under a shoe so that the cleanliness and health concerns are addressed without having to remove the shoes.
The most important concept to the product solution is a design that allows the product to be easily attached and removed “hands-free” without bending down. Ideally, only a small part of the product would actually cover the upper portion of the shoe.
The following list of U.S. Pat. Nos. was found to be relevant to the present invention: 1,154,890 to Sauer; 1,704,688 to Valentine et al.; 2,024,766 to Ingwer; 2,102,265 to Halberstadt; 2,132,523 to Berry; 2,188,603 to Hamalainen; 2,666,996 to Odland; 3,146,535 to Owings; 3,283,423 to Schovee; 3,718,993 to Schovee; 4,299,037 to Carey; 4,392,311 to Rudolf et al.; 4,489,509 to Libit; 5,056,240 to Sherrill; 5,282,327 to Ogle; 5,481,814 to Spencer; 5,638,614 Hardy; 5,666,746 to Pollard; 5,813,149 to Baker et al.; 5,842,290 to Mills; 6,438,872 to Chil et al.; Des. 377,710 to Poust, Des. 394,740 to Poust; and Published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0,166,257 to Wilkinson.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,037 to Carey discloses a boot device for attachment to the sole of a boot, which includes a toe portion, a heel portion and a thin resilient middle portion stretchably connecting the toe and heel portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,327 to Ogle discloses a pivotal heel for footwear which allows a wearer to put the footwear on without the use of hands. The heel is spring biased into a retracted or inclined position. When a wearer inserts his foot into the footwear, the heel is forced into a normal or upright position that is latched. A release mechanism, operated by a push rod, projecting from the rear of the shoe, releases the latch maintaining the heel in the upright position so that the heel becomes inclined again. The push rod may be depressed by the user's other foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,746 to Pollard discloses an adjustable length spiked shoe protector comprising a front sole portion and a heel portion joined by an adjustment strap. The strap is affixed to the front side portion. The strap can be threaded through recess in the heel portion. The front portion of the recess has tabs. The tabs can be inserted into apertures of the strap which are located at various lengths along the strap. The front sole portion can therefore be drawn closer to or further away from the heel portion based on the length of the strap when it is attached to the tabs of the front recess portion of the heel. The sole protector can therefore be adjusted in length to accommodate different shoe sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,154,890 to Sauer discloses a device that can be removably attached to the sole of the wearer's shoe. The device comprises a front portion clamped to the front shoe sole, a rear portion clamped to the heel, and an adjustable interconnecting portion held between the front and rear portions via springs secured to chains. The interconnecting portion comprises a tongue at one end which overlaps a bridge that starts at the other end. The tongue has a series of apertures. A buckle may be passed through one of the apertures of the tongue to adjust the distance between the front and rear clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,149 to Baker et al. discloses an overshoe type of boot with rear expansion flaps to allow easy ingress and egress. The boot is sized to the fitted over a specific sized foot. The components of the boot are molded integral with one another. The expansion flap has opposed flap side walls connected to the boot leg side walls, and a rear wall connected to the side walls. At its upper end, the rear wall is spaced rearwardly from the boot leg's rear edge. When the boot is worn, the expansion flap can be wrapped against one of the side walls of the boot leg and fastened thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,704,688 to Valentine et al. discloses an overshoe which contains elastic springs extending horizontally at spaced intervals across expandable portions or gussets of the overshoe. The opening to the overshoe can be expanded via the expansion of the springs to provide easy ingress. When the springs are contracted, the foot is secured within the overshoe. In order to take off the overshoe, it is only necessary to press down on the heel with the other foot, causing the springs to expand, thereby expanding the opening to the overshoe.
Published application Ser. No. 2002/0,166,257 to Wilkinson discloses a slip-on shoe for warm weather incorporating the desirable features of a sneaker and a sandal. In some embodiments it may have a backwardly angled heel section and/or a strap to wrap around the foot for a more secure fit.